Trademark, patent and IP filings in India: IP India annual report data

How many trademark applications are filed in India each year?

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) reported 5,52,190 trademark applications in 2024-25, up about 16% from 4,76,089 in 2023-24. Filings had grown slowly for four years (4,31,213 in 2020-21 to 4,76,089 in 2023-24) before this jump.

Indian applicants dominate: 5,38,441 of the 2024-25 applications, about 97.5%, came from Indian filers, with 13,749 from foreign applicants. Separately, WIPO notified 13,766 international registrations designating India under the Madrid Protocol in 2024-25.

Trademarks make up the bulk of IP activity. Of the 7,49,946 IP applications received across all rights in 2024-25, trademarks accounted for about 74%, patents about 15%, and designs and copyrights about 6% each.

Are trademarks being registered faster?

Registrations rose 36.86% to 3,82,834 in 2024-25 and disposals rose 8.75% to 4,71,719. However, examinations fell to 1,56,403 from an unusually high 7,21,944 in 2023-24, when the Registry cleared a large backlog. Fewer examinations against higher filings suggests examination queues may lengthen again, though the report itself does not publish pendency figures.

Oppositions remain a significant step before registration. The Delhi office alone received 37,452 opposition and rectification filings in 2024-25 and disposed of 26,350. Mumbai received 18,720, Chennai 13,000, Ahmedabad 8,428 and Kolkata 4,116, so contested marks can take considerably longer than unopposed ones.

How many patents are filed in India?

Patent applications rose to 1,10,375 in 2024-25 from 92,168 in 2023-24, crossing one lakh for the first time. Resident filings reached 68,201, or 61.8% of the total, up from 55.96% the year before. PCT national phase entries were broadly flat at 31,940. The United States was the largest foreign filing country with 10,620 applications. 33,504 patents were granted in 2024-25.

Growth accelerated in FY 2025-26. On 12 April 2026, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reported 1,43,729 patent applications, up 30.2%, with 99,721 from residents (about 69.4%) and 44,008 from non-residents. The 2025-26 annual report with full trademark data had not been located at the time of writing.

Startups are a small but fast-growing slice. DPIIT reported that recognised startups filed 4,480+ patent applications in FY 2025-26, up from 2,850+ in FY 2024-25, taking their cumulative total to 19,400+. Resident filers have driven the overall rise, with their share climbing from 55.96% in 2023-24 to about 69.4% in 2025-26.

How have patent examination and grants moved?

Patent examination output has swung sharply. The office examined 73,165 applications in 2020-21 but only 15,726 in 2024-25, after clearing a large queue in earlier years. Grants peaked at 1,03,057 in 2023-24, the first time India granted more than one lakh patents in a year, and fell back to 33,504 in 2024-25. Disposals followed the same pattern, from 1,26,003 in 2023-24 to 40,606.

With filings now rising by 20% to 30% a year and examinations lower, applicants should expect longer waits unless they qualify for expedited examination. Startups, small entities, women applicants and government bodies are among the categories that can request it.

How many foreign brands seek protection in India through Madrid?

WIPO notified 13,766 international registrations designating India in 2024-25, up from 12,838 in 2023-24. The Registry examined 13,730 of these, issued 3,579 provisional refusals on examination and 994 based on third-party oppositions, and granted protection to 6,921, including 2,796 where no action was needed from the applicant. 3,145 were refused protection.

Madrid filings designating India have stayed in a band of roughly 12,800 to 15,100 a year since 2020-21, while protection granted has drifted down from 9,943 in 2020-21 to about 7,000 a year since 2021-22.

What about designs, copyright and GIs?

Design applications grew fastest among IP rights in 2024-25, up 41.52% to 43,005, with 30,349 designs registered. Copyright applications rose to 44,095 from 36,726, with 26,767 registrations. Geographical Indication applications more than doubled to 275, though only 62 GIs were registered that year after 160 in 2023-24.

Examination kept pace better in these rights than in patents. The design office examined 38,009 applications and disposed of 31,923 in 2024-25. The copyright office examined 43,940 applications and disposed of 27,027, while 212 GI applications were examined. Copyright registrations fell from 38,002 in 2023-24 to 26,767, even as applications rose.

What should founders take from these numbers?

With more than 5.5 lakh trademark applications a year, popular classes are crowded and conflicts are common. Search the Trade Marks Registry database before choosing a brand name, and file early: in India, priority generally goes to the earlier filer or the earlier user. DPIIT-recognised startups get an 80% rebate on patent fees and a 50% rebate on trademark fees, and startup patent applications are eligible for expedited examination.

Domestic demand is driving trademark growth. Applications from Indian filers rose about 16% in 2024-25, from 4,63,108 to 5,38,441, while foreign applications rose about 6%, from 12,981 to 13,749. File in every class that covers your current and planned goods or services, and keep evidence of first use, because it matters if your mark is opposed.